Meet Our Amazing Team!

We could never have accomplished so much without such an incredible team of dedicated volunteers!

Take some time and get to know who these exceptional members of our community are and what motivates them.

Mark Savage

Mark is one of the founding members of ICSAVE and has dedicated thousands of hours toward its mission. He has worked full-time with the Fry Fire District since 1995. Recently promoted to Fire Chief, he was previously responsible for their special operations program including: technical rescue, hazardous materials, wildland operations, and tactical medical support. Mark has been a certified paramedic since 2000. He is also a Reserve Deputy with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, where he has served as a tactical medic and operator on their SWAT Team for the past 18 years. He received a law degree from the University of Arizona, Rogers College of Law in 2007 and recently completed the National Fire Academy, Executive Fire Officer Program.

Josh Gaither

Dr. Josh Gaither is an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona, College of Medicine. He is board certified in Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Dr. Gaither currently practices Emergency Medicine at Banner University Medical Center and serves as the Medical Director for the Banner University Medical Center Tucson Campus Base Hospital where he provides medical direction for 14 EMS agencies and approximately 800 EMS providers.

Dr. Gaither leads both direct and distance EMS educational outreach programs. At the university level Dr. Gaither is the co-director of the EMS certificate program and instructor of three EMS courses. He is also the co-developer for two continuing education courses focused on EMS special operations: Advanced Disaster Preparedness & Response (ADPR™) and Advanced Hazmat Life Support (AHLS™) for Tox-Medics. One of ICSAVE’s principal team members, Dr. Gaither is a passionate supporter of community outreach, empowerment and resilience programs. He and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

CJ Higgins

CJ started his Emergency Services career in 2006 by accident. He took an EMT training course to make himself more qualified for another job with no intention of becoming a Firefighter nor Paramedic. As luck would have it CJ found his calling in that class and has been both for the last ten years. Over the course of his career, he has learned that a little education goes a long way. As an Advanced Life Support educator at Pima College, CJ firmly believes that training decides the difference between life and death. This is why he has been involved with ICSAVE since its inception. He believes that by reaching out into the community, into schools, businesses and hospitals, this organization can empower people to help each other in the event of an emergency. The professionals will respond quickly, of course, but the people of the community deserve the tools to begin helping others. CJ and the ICSAVE team will provide them with the tools to help each other, help first responders, and help themselves.

Kubwimana Moses Mhayamaguru

Dr. Kubwimana Moses Mhayamaguru (“Moses”) is an EMS Medical Directions Fellow at The University of Arizona where he is also a clinical instructor in the department of emergency medicine. He completed Emergency Medicine residency at The University of Arizona after which he decided to continue his career as an EMS physician. Moses has been a part of ICSAVE since its inception, and his various interests include airway management and pre-hospital medicine, particularly hospital-based (HEMS) and tactical emergency medicine (TEMS). He also currently works part-time as an emergency physician at Tucson Medical Center.

Despite having a doctor of medicine degree, circumstance forced him towards completing a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing prior to moving to the United States in order to increase his options for continuing in the medical profession. When he first arrived in the US, he worked as an emergency department nurse in Florida for 10 years, 7 of which were at an academic level-1 regional trauma center. During his tenure as a nurse he also went back to school and acquired a paramedic license. These opportunities to diversify his experience have helped him develop into a well-rounded physician.

“Patients do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care!” – KMM, MD

Scott Crowley

Scott is a Captain Paramedic with twenty years serving the Phoenix Fire Department and is an integral part of the ICSAVE Family. He is also a United States Navy Veteran who served during Operation Desert Shield. He currently holds an EMS Training Captain’s position for the Phoenix Fire Department. While working for Phoenix Fire, he also served ten years as an Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic Program Director at Phoenix College. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Labor Studies from the National Labor College; and he is near completing his Master’s Degree in Emergency Management & Homeland Security from ASU. Scott is considered a subject matter expert in the areas of public safety integration and Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC). He is a native of Phoenix, married with two-step sons and a daughter.

Zabatka Colbert

Zabatka (“Z”) Colbert has 20 years of experience with the Phoenix Police Department. Prior to joining the Department, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Quincy University. During his tenure as a Phoenix Police Officer, he has served in key roles during several high-profile investigations as an undercover/plain clothes capacity as well as in a tactical role. Zabatka currently instructs/trains federal, state, and local agencies across the country in the subject matter of covert surveillance and undercover intelligence operations. He has an advanced training background in incident response to terrorist bombings as well as search procedures for improvised explosive devices. He also has an extensive background as an active shooter intervention instructor for both the Phoenix Police Department and Integrated Community Solutions to Active Violence Events (ICSAVE). Zabatka is recognized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for his expertise conducting analysis of key infrastructures as well as performing vulnerability threat and risk assessments against an assigned area of responsibility. The vast-majority of his time of service has been with specialized crime suppression units within the Phoenix Police Department where he contributes in several roles to include being a certified Intelligence Officer and Terrorism Liaison Officer. Zabatka and his family presently reside in Central Arizona

Tony Vasquez

Tony served in the United States Marine Corps and worked as an aircraft firefighter until 2002. Upon separating he became a post-certified peace officer working for the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, assigned to general investigations, but specialized in investigating crimes against children. In 2006, he attended Hazardous Devices School and received the title Bomb Technician. In 2007, he later transferred to the Arizona Department of Public Safety and continued working as a Bomb Technician part-time. Tony has worked as an undercover officer, gang unit, mobile field force officer, phlebotomist, and the SWAT Team as an Explosives Breacher. He became a full-time Bomb Technician in 2013. He is currently a patrol sergeant, the training coordinator for his unit and specializes in homemade explosives. Tony has been a part of ICSAVE since its inception, is considered a Skills Matter Expert (SME) and has instructed hundreds of courses and thousands of students.

Michelle A. Watson

Michelle was born and raised in Nogales, Arizona and is a wife and mother of two. She is actively involved with local animal rescues, specifically with the Great Dane Rescue of Tucson. She presently works full-time at Pima Joint Technical Education District as their EMT Program Coordinator/Instructor and part-time as an EMT for AMR/Rural Metro. She has been an EMT for over fourteen years. She also serves as a Crisis Responder for local crisis response teams serving First Responders, Firefighters and EMS providers throughout Southern Arizona. An integral part of the ICSAVE family, Michelle is a staunch advocate for the protection of children, progressive educational models and the provision of mental health care services to those in need. She and her family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Gerardo Carrasco

Special Operations Supervisor (SOS) Gerardo Carrasco leads the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Program in the Tucson Sector and is a member of the Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) team. He is also one of Integrated Community Solutions to Active Violence Events (ICSAVE) Core Instructor Cadre.

SOS Carrasco entered on duty with the U.S. Border Patrol on August 28, 1999, as a member of class 413. His first duty assignment as a Border Patrol Agent was at the Douglas Station in the Tucson Sector. As his career progressed, he graduated from BORSTAR selection class 2 in October of 2000. As a member of BORSTAR, he was not only deployed throughout the Tucson Sector, but also the southwest border on several rescue operations and missions. SOS Carrasco has deployed in support of operations following several natural disasters and national events, such as the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Starting in 2002, SOS Carrasco became a lead instructor for the Tucson Sector Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training program. During that time, he provided training in pre-hospital emergency care, basic life support and advanced medical skills. The EMT training program has trained hundreds of agents and officers from the Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), US Marshals, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Tucson Police Department (TPD), Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams, Pima and Pinal County Sheriff’s Offices, US Army and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). In 2004, SOS Carrasco was deployed to Amman, Jordan and Trebil, Iraq as part of a Department of Homeland Security team to provide training to Iraqi Border Police in several areas of border enforcement operations. In 2014 and 2015 he deployed to Guatemala and Mexico as part of a CBP team to instruct local military and police personnel in tactical medicine. He was assigned to lead the Tucson Sector Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program in 2007 and in September of 2012, he was officially promoted to the position of Tucson Sector EMS Program Manager.

Prior to joining the Border Patrol, SOS Carrasco was a Firefighter/EMT for Northwest Fire District, South Tucson Fire Department and Golder Ranch Fire District in Tucson, Arizona. SOS Carrasco earned a national certification as a paramedic in 2005 through Pima Community College in Tucson and is part of the DHS Austere Paramedic Program.

SOS Carrasco is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. and a native of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.

Chris Christensen

Chris Christensen (“CC”) is a Captain/Paramedic with the 162D Wing Fire & Emergency Services, AZ Air National Guard, as well as a paramedic course manager with the Public Safety and Emergency Services Institute (PSESI), Pima Community College. He is responsible for managing PSESI’s entire USAF paramedic training program. CC has been involved with the Fire/EMS community for over 19 years as a front-line responder and educator. He possesses a Bachelor Degree in Chemistry from The University of Arizona and a Master Degree in Technology with an emphasis in Emergency Management from Arizona State University. Further, he is a state and nationally registered paramedic and holds provider and instructor credentials in BLS, ACLS, PALS, PEPP, PHTLS, TCCC, and AMLS. CC believes strongly in ICSAVE’s mission, specifically that every member of our communities should be trained to embrace and provide care as part of the all-hazards response approach. He feels that this type of essential education should begin at an early age and be incorporated into elementary and high school classroom curriculum.

Raheel Raza

Author of THEIR JIHAD…NOT MY JIHAD, Raheel Raza is a public speaker, Consultant for Interfaith and Intercultural diversity, documentary film maker, freelance journalist, founder of SAMA' (Sacred Arts and Music Alliance) and an ICSAVE Contributing Member. She was appointed to and served three years on The Public Service Committee for Ontario College of Teachers.

Raza started writing at a young age because she grew up in a culture where women were supposed to "be seen and not heard.” Travelling extensively throughout the Middle East, Europe, Far East and North America, Raza brings a fresh new global perspective to her mandate “there is unity in diversity”.

Raza bridges the gap between East and West, promoting cultural and religious diversity. She has appeared in print, on television and radio to discuss diversity, harmony and interfaith. In a presentation to Members of Parliament and international diplomats at the House of Commons, Raza received a standing ovation for her speech called "Celebrating our Differences".

How Can You Possibly be an Anti-Terrorist Muslim? An outspoken advocate for gender equality and an activist for women's rights internationally, she has appeared many times in print, radio and television media to reveal and debate Canadian issues related to media, diversity, gender and immigrants. Raza has received many awards for her work to build bridges of understanding. She is a recipient of the City of Toronto’s Constance Hamilton Award and is the first South Asian woman to narrate a CBC documentary on “Passionate Eye”. A fervent advocate for human rights, Raza is the first Muslim woman in Canada to lead mixed gender prayers.

Growing up in a culture where women were supposed to “be seen and not heard”, Raza turned to writing at a young age and is a freelance journalist. Travelling extensively throughout the world, Raza brings a fresh global perspective to her mandate “there is unity in diversity”. Raza has spoken at places of worship, the private sector, the Justice Department, School Boards and government institutions. She has also been invited to speak at Universities in USA and Canada, including Harvard and Columbia.

Mark Lytle

Mark is a native Tucsonan who has worked in the fire service for 23 years. He is currently a Fire Captain, Paramedic, and the Operations Coordinator for the Green Valley Hazardous Materials Team. In addition to his normal duties, Mark holds the position of Terrorism Liaison Officer with the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center. He is also an instructor for U.S. Department of Homeland Security of courses covering Emergency Response to Suicide Bombings, Terrorist Bombings, and Radiological/Nuclear and Chemical Weapons Incidents. Mark is an integral part of the ICSAVE Team with his primary focus being the education, training and empowerment of faith-based organizations.

Eric Weightman

Eric has been happily married to his wonderful wife of 12 years Carla. They have two beautiful children, Jackson and Brooklyn. Eric has been a Phoenix Firefighter/Paramedic since 2011. Prior to joining the fire department, he was in the United States Army for 5 years. He served in the 82nd Airborne Division in Recon and later was a Special Forces Medical Sergeant. During that time, he also obtained training as a Nationally Registered Paramedic. Eric became part of the ICSAVE family because he feels a strong calling to be actively engaged in programs that protect our children. He feels there is no higher honor than to educate, train and empower the men, women and children of our communities. Eric and his family presently reside in Central Arizona.

Cameron Weidenbach

Cameron has been an Arizona DPS Trooper for over 15 years. He has held numerous assignments to include the Arizona Highway Patrol, U.S. Marshals Violent Offender Task Force, and the Special Weapons and Tactics Unit. He is a certified bomb technician and explosives detection canine handler currently assigned to the department's Bomb Squad. As one of ICSAVE’s skills-matter-experts, Cameron instructs a myriad of subjects to include Explosives Recognition Awareness and Safety and EOD Integration Operations. He presently resides in Central Arizona.

Joe Klundt

Joe is ICSAVE’s primary grant writer and community liaison. He works full-time with the Apache Program for The Boeing Company, where he and his family have just returned from an overseas assignment in the United Kingdom. Prior to working for Boeing, Joe worked for a Native American economic development corporation (Ho-Chunk, Inc. and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska), also registered as a 501(c)(3), whose mission it was to provide economic opportunities for tribal members. Joe’s wife April currently works in a Title 1 school, supporting disadvantaged children and those with learning disabilities. His oldest son, Austin, makes frequent trips to India to volunteer at the Shining Faces orphanage. Joe and his family believe strongly in giving back to their community and that their blessed circumstances are due in no small part to those who have come before them. Joe, April, Austin, Ian, and Madison currently reside in Gilbert, Arizona.

Matt Reese

Matt has been an Engineer/Paramedic for the City of Prescott Fire Department for the last 7 years and is an integral part of the ICSAVE family. During that time, he has also served as a technical rescue technician and program manager for the City’s Mass Casualty Incident Program, which includes incidents of hostile threat. Prior to working in Prescott, he worked for the City of Laguna Beach Fire Department in California for 3 years.

Matt was born in Phoenix and raised throughout Texas and Nevada. After graduating from high school, he joined the United States Marines, served as a member of a Marine Security Force detachment in Iceland, and also served with the 5th Marine Regiment in Camp Pendleton, CA. It was during a military deployment to combat wildfires in Idaho that he developed an interest in the fire service which eventually led to his pursuit of helping others in need through the public safety profession. Matt currently resides in Prescott, AZ with his amazing wife and their two beautiful daughters.

Nancy Heiser

Nancy presently serves as Congresswoman Martha McSally’s Community Outreach Director. She was raised in Tucson and graduated from Northern Arizona University with an undergraduate degree in Elementary and Special Education and a Master’s degree in School Administration. She spent 15 years teaching in the primary grades and as an elementary school administrator. More recently, she has served on the Board of Directors for several youth development and leadership programs, including HOBY (Hugh O’Brian Youth Foundation) and the Assistance League of Tucson Assisteens program. Nancy’s passion for education and children drew her to ICSAVE, specifically the organization’s focus on community resilience, education and empowerment programs. She presently resides in Southern Arizona

Sean Gijanto

Sean has been with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office since 1998. He is an AZPOST Firearms Instructor and during his tenure has been allowed to grow professionally through assignments as a Patrol Sergeant, Investigations Sergeant, and currently as a Patrol Lieutenant. Additionally, he is an active member of the Cochise County SWAT team and has been so for 15 years. An integral part of ICSAVE, Sean is a skills-matter-expert in police-fire integration training and has been instrumental in the professional development of numerous public safety personnel. He and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Matthew Schouten

Matthew has worked in Law Enforcement for over 13 years with the Phoenix Police Department. He worked in several areas of the city including patrol, the Violent Crimes Bureau as a Detective for 6 years and has been assigned to the Safety Unit for 2 years now. In his current position with the Safety Unit, he oversees the department's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program, which entails the coordination and instruction of medical training provided by the department, including Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) and Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC). He has also been a member of the Phoenix Police Search and Recovery Dive Team for 3 years.

Matthew has received training as an Emergency Medical Technician, a Certified Hazmat Technician, A PADI Dive Instructor, Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) courses, and extensive training in FEMA courses, including certification as a Type 3 Incident Management Team Safety Officer. Matthew recently became a part of the ICSAVE family and is considered a subject matter expert in the area of Public Safety Integration Operations. When not working, he enjoys everything outdoors, especially diving (both for work and play), and mountain biking. Matthew and his family presently reside in the Phoenix metro area.

Tom Fair

Cochise County Sheriff’s Deputy Tom Fair has worked full-time for the department since 2013 and was a Reserve Deputy from 2003 to 2013. He is also a retired Engineer/Paramedic from the Sierra Vista Fire Department after 27 years of service. Tom was one of the first full-time Paramedics in Cochise County. He was assigned to the Cochise County Sheriff’s SWAT team in 1995 after attending the Counter Narcotics and Terrorism Operational Medical Support (CONTOMS) Program and has taken several other Tactical Medic courses. He currently serves as a Tactical Operator and Medic for CCSO SWAT and was a Tactical Medic for the City of Sierra Vista Police Department’s Special Response Team from 2002-2011. Tom is also a member of Cochise County’s Search and Rescue Team and worked full-time as Flight Medic for LifeNet AZ from 2011-2013. A strong proponent of educational, resilience and empowerment programs, Tom is a core member of ICSAVE’s family and has made a profound impact throughout the communities he serves.

Kim Jensen

Kim graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Middle Eastern Studies (Arabic) in 1985, after which he was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the Utah Army National Guard, 142nd MI Linguist Btn. Soon thereafter, he joined the FBI where he has served as a Special Agent Investigator (Subject Matter Expert), Supervisor and Legal Attache in Amman, Jordan. He has authored and published a series of books on extremist ideology and international terrorism, the first of which is entitled "Three Pillars of Global Terrorism.” After retiring from the FBI, Kim joined the Rocky Mountain Information Network (RMIN) where he is currently employed. He is an ICSAVE Contributing Member.

Brian Hofmann

Brian is currently assigned as the Senior Team Leader for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Phoenix Field Division Special Response Team (SRT) and lead Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for the entire state of Arizona. He received his initial education at the U.S. Naval Academy, and later obtained a Bachelor’s degree in History, from the University of Arizona. He served as a Commissioned Officer in the United States Marine Corps and his responsibilities included Infantry Platoon Commander, Detachment Commander, and the 1st Surveillance Reconnaissance Intelligence Group. He later served in Al Anbar Province, Iraq as a Marine Rifle Company Commander, 5th Marine Regimental Combat Team (Fallujah). His diverse law enforcement background includes service as a Phoenix Police Officer (South Mountain Precinct), and as a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration. He has been stationed in numerous locations to include the Washington D.C. Field Division, Jungle Group, Lima, Peru Country Office, Tucson District Office, and the Phoenix Field Division, where he presently serves. Brian is an integral part of the ICSAVE family and he is actively involved in the organization’s Public Safety Integration training programs. Brian presently resides in Central Arizona.

Peter Benzing

Peter has served for over 11 years as a Firefighter/Paramedic with the Casa Grande Fire Department. Prior to moving to Arizona, he was a volunteer firefighter for 11 years in Upstate New York. His interest in ICSAVE first originated from Rescue Task Force training he received several years ago, at State Fire School. Events like 9-11 and the Oklahoma City and Boston City Bombings left a profound impression on him, and Peter is convinced that there is a cultural shift taking place that will forever change the way first responders and civilians must interact/respond to their worlds.

As a loving parent to his energetic 5-year-old daughter, Peter wants to bring practical and innovative solutions to the ever-increasing active violence problem facing our communities. Peter and his family presently reside in Central Arizona.

Jeff Smoger

Jeff has worked for the Phoenix Police Department since 2001. Previously, he attended Michigan State University where he studied Criminal Justice while also working as a Reserve Police Officer. He has worked in a plain-clothes and tactical capacity for multiple precincts and specializes in static, mobile and airborne surveillance. He continues to partner with local, county, state and federal agencies to investigate crimes and to capture wanted criminals. Holding numerous law enforcement credentials, Jeff continues to obtain additional training from local and federal sources. These courses include diverse topics such as social media information procurement, including data-mining/metadata; recognizing and understanding Jihadi ideology and advanced building clearing with an emphasis on IED mitigation. Currently, he works on a crime suppression unit that specializes in the investigation of street-level criminal activity ranging in scope from crimes of opportunity, narcotics, criminal street gangs and organized property crimes. He is an integral part of the ICSAVE team, and is considered a skills-matter-expert in the area of Public Safety Integrated Operations. Jeff and his family presently reside in Central Arizona.

Matthew Crandall

Matt was born in Phoenix, and raised in Northern New Mexico and Southern Arizona before joining the Army shortly after high school. While in the Army, he met and married his wife of over 28 years, and they have two great adult children and 3 beautiful grandchildren.

After leaving the military, Matt worked in the Arizona State Metrology Lab before establishing a career in the Fire Service in the Phoenix Metro area in 1998. During his 21 years (and counting) with the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, he has served as a Paramedic and a Fire Captain. While attending a Safety Officer training course in 2012, Matt first became introduced to the subjects of Mass Casualty Incidents and Active Shooter Events.

He is now considered a skills-matter-expert and is a member of ICSAVE’s Integrated Operations Training Cadre. While away from work, Matt enjoys watersports, hunting, camping, travel, sporting events, performing wedding ceremonies and spending time with friends and family. He and his family presently reside in Central Arizona.

Conrad Hubele

Conrad has been working in Tucson-area Fire and EMS for two decades. Presently a Fire Captain with the Drexel Heights Fire District, he is active in Special Teams, Training, and Recruit Development. Since 2014, he has been the driving force for updating his fire department’s Active Violence Operating Guidelines. A key member of ICSAVE’s team, he is heavily involved in Public Safety Integration and NAEMT Instruction. A licensed pilot and father of two, Conrad lives in Tucson with his wife and two daughters.

Ladd Hall

Ladd has worked for the Fry Fire District since 2007 where he presently serves as a Fire Captain and Paramedic. He also serves on the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team as a Tactical Medic and has done so for over 6 years. He has attended the International School of Tactical Medicine in Palm Springs as well as the Casualty Care Under Fire Course instructed by the U.S. Border Patrol. Ladd’s expertise lends itself well to ICSAVE where he has conducted Public Safety Integration Training for the past two years. He routinely trains the CCSO SWAT team in all facets of tactical medicine, to include Self-Aid and Buddy Care. He also teaches “First-Aid for Teachers” to schools across the greater Cochise County Area. Ladd works as a gunsmith and instructor for Western Precision Rifles where he is the head of ballistics and testing for their long-range precision rifles. He is also the Head of ballistics and technology for the Mill Creek Shooting Resort in Saguache Colorado where he instructs civilian, Law Enforcement and Military elements the math and science of internal, external and terminal ballistics regarding extreme long-range precision shooting. Ladd presently resides in Southern Arizona.

Martin Samaniego

Martin currently serves as a Flight Paramedic and Physician Assistant throughout Southern Arizona. A strong proponent of community service, for many years he worked as a Firefighter/Paramedic until his retirement. Also, a U.S. military veteran, he served honorably in both the United States Navy and Arizona Air National Guard. Martin graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Science from the University of Arizona and an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Paramedicine from Pima Community College. He is an Adjunct Instructor for the Public Safety Emergency Services Institute (PSESI) of Pima Community College where he presently teaches Paramedicine. Martin’s love for education and community outreach and empowerment programs are what first drew him to the ICSAVE family. He grew up in Southern Arizona and has lived and worked in Tucson for over 30 years. He is a proud father of his two children. Andria, his oldest, is a senior in college and Dominic is presently a freshman in high school.

Carl Chinn

Carl is an author, nationally recognized expert on church violence and ICSAVE contributing member. He was a First Responder at the New Life Church shooting in Colorado and was a hostage and negotiator in the Focus on the Family incident. In 1996, he was a responder in a standoff with an angry gunman who took hostages at the Focus on the Family ministry. Following the attacker’s trial, Carl began researching and writing about criminal and other incidents in North American ministries. In 2005, he and others began to develop an intentional security program for New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO. He was one of the team of responders directly involved with the active shooter on 12/09/2007. He continues to serve New Life security as the threat investigator and liaison between law enforcement and ministry security operations.

Christopher Taylor, M.Div, ICPS Executive Director

Chris has over fifteen years’ experience working in the criminal justice system and campus security. Most recently, he founded and is leading the security team at Christ Community Church in Tucson, AZ. He is recognized as an International Crime Prevention Specialist, holds instructor certifications from several professional training organizations and is an ICSAVE contributing member.

Coleman Hunter

Coleman (“Cole”) has been a law enforcement officer for over 13 years. His first 5 years was spent with the Tucson Police Department where he received numerous accolades to include the Department Citation of Excellence Award for his involvement in an Officer Involved Shooting (OIS). He later lateralled to the Marana Police Department where he currently serves. After joining the department, he became a School Resource Officer (SRO) at Marana High School. After his first year, he was recognized by the Arizona School Resource Officer Association as the SRO State Rookie of the Year. Cole recently left his SRO assignment to assume his present duties as a Lead Police Officer for the department. Earlier this year, he received his Department's Medal of Merit. Among his various specialties, Cole is a member of the Arizona Child Abduction Response Team (AZ CART), a joint federal, state and local task force dedicated to the quick recovery of kidnapped children. A devoted husband and father, Cole is an integral part of the ICSAVE Family and is heavily committed to the organization’s Public Safety Integration and School-Based Programs. He and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Dave Follett

Dave is a Captain with the Phoenix Fire Department assigned to the Homeland Defense Bureau. He is currently working at the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC) as the Intelligence program manager. He graduated from Arizona State University in 1995 and began his career with the fire department that same year. Before coming to the Homeland Defense Bureau, he spent the last 15 years of his career at Firehouse 25 in Maryvale. He also teaches the Hazardous Materials/First Responder course at Phoenix College. A member of the ICSAVE family, Dave is strongly committed to the organization’s community outreach, resilience and public safety integration programs. He and his family presently reside in Central Arizona.

Dennis Ferrel

Dennis has served as a Firefighter with the Fry Fire District since 2007. Previously, he worked as a Volunteer Firefighter in Ocean Gate, New Jersey. He is presently the Technical Rescue Coordinator for his department, and holds numerous certifications to include Rope Rescue and Swiftwater Rescue Technician. At various times throughout his career, he has also served as Fry Firefighters’ Local 4913 Union President and Vice President. He presently serves as the Vice Chairman of Fry Firefighters’ Charities and is also a certified Wildland Engine Boss. Ryan and his wife Jessica, who herself serves as a Sierra Vista Police Officer and SWAT Crisis Negotiator, are avid adventurists and travel extensively throughout the country and world. They love to mountain climb and bike, run, and camp and have done the latter throughout many of our country’s National Parks. Dennis and his wife have 6 dogs that they have rescued from various local animal shelters, love good music and homebrewing beer. Dennis is an integral part of the ICSAVE Family and presently serves as both an Information Technologies Specialist and Community Outreach Instructor. He and his wife presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Anthony A. Lukin, Ph.D.

Dr. Anthony A. Lukin is a recognized authority on terrorism, “Fourth Generation Warfare,” many other criminal justice/security related issues and is an ICSAVE contributing member. He has over forty-five years of experience in law enforcement and intelligence operations. He has much expertise in the gathering and analyzing of intelligence, and is an instructor on Counter-Terrorism and Intelligence at the California Specialized Training Institute, the training arm of the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA), formerly the California State Office of Homeland Security.

Dr. Lukin was also an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Southern California, and Adjunct Professor at Portland State University. He was designated as “Distinguished Instructor” at the National Inter-Agency Civil-Military Institute and lectured at the U.S. Army War College in Carlyle, Pennsylvania. Dr. Lukin also served as a Special Consultant on Homeland Security and Terrorism to the California Department of Justice, Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), where he developed the nationally recognized Terrorism Liaison Officer Program (TLO).

Dr. Lukin holds a Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degree in Criminology. He has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. He has completed all of the course work toward an additional Doctorate degree in Educational Psychology and Leadership. He has concentrated his studies on leadership in guerrilla, terrorist, and revolutionary organizations.

In addition to consulting with many other federal, state, and local governments within the United States, Dr. Lukin has worked with foreign governments as well. He served as a Special Advisor on Homeland Security to the Government of Singapore in 2002-2003. His lectures and writings have been translated into Russian and three other languages.

Dr. Lukin is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association for Counterterrorism & Security Professionals, the National Military Intelligence Institute, the American Society for Industrial Security, and the Association of Former Intelligence Officers.

Jimmy Meeks

Jimmy is a retired police officer, having served 35 years in law-enforcement, and is an ICSAVE contributing member. He has also been a minister for over 42 years. As an officer, he served as a hostage negotiator, field training officer, school resource officer, detective, supervisor, and crime prevention officer. He has accumulated over 4500 hours of TCOLE training. He has also been a certified crime prevention specialist.

He was pastor of a church in the Ft. Worth area for over 11 years, while also serving as a police officer. Jimmy has a B.A. in Religion from Oklahoma Baptist University and a Certificate of Ministry from Emmaus Road Ministry School. He has conducted over 100 church safety seminars since 2009, at which over a thousand churches have attended. It has been said of his presentation, "...there has never been a stronger call to action..."

Jimmy and his wife of 35 years, Julie, were married at the First Baptist Church of Daingerfield, Texas, the sight of the June 22, 1980 massacre that killed 5 - and injured 10.

Kenneth Arnold

Ken is a former Marine who served with the Light Armored Reconnaissance Bn. and as a Primary Marksmanship Instructor. He has trained extensively in threat assessment, identification, counter ambush tactics and is an ICSAVE contributing member. He currently serves as a supervisor on the security team at his church and is committed to protecting the flock!

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman (Ret.)

Lt. Col. Grossman is a director of Sheepdog Seminars Group International and an ICSAVE contributing member. He is also a director of Warrior Science Group, owner of www.killology.com, member of American Board for Certification in Homeland Security and a member of American College of Forensic Examiners. Lt. Col. Grossman is an internationally recognized scholar, author, soldier and speaker who is one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of human aggression and the roots of violence and violent crime.

Col. Grossman is a former West Point psychology professor, Professor of Military Science, and an Army Ranger who has combined his experiences to become the founder of a new field of scientific endeavor, which has been termed “killology.” In this new field Col. Grossman, has made revolutionary new contributions to our understanding of killing in war, the psychological costs of war, the root causes of the current “virus” of violent crime that is raging around the world, and the process of healing the victims of violence, in war and peace. He is the author of On Killing, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; has been translated into Japanese, Korean, and German; is on the U.S. Marine Corps Commandant’s required reading list; and is required reading at the FBI academy and numerous other academies and colleges. Col. Grossman co-authored Stop Teaching Our Kids to Kill: A Call to Action Against TV, Movie and Video Game Violence, which has been translated into Norwegian and German, and has received international acclaim. Col. Grossman’s most recent book, On Combat, has also placed on the U.S. Marine Corps Commandant’s Required Reading List and has been translated into Japanese and Korean.

Col. Grossman has been called upon to write the entry on “Aggression and Violence” in the Oxford Companion to American Military History, three entries in the Academic Press Encyclopedia of Violence and numerous entries in scholarly journals, to include the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy.

He has presented papers before the national conventions of the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

He has presented to over 100 different colleges and universities worldwide, and has trained educators and law enforcement professionals, in the field of school safety, at the state and regional level, in all 50 states and over a dozen foreign nations.

He helped train mental health professionals after the Jonesboro school massacre, and he was also involved in counseling or court cases in the aftermath of the Paducah, Springfield, Littleton, Virginia Tech, and Nickel Mines Amish school massacres. He has been an expert witness and consultant in state and Federal courts, to include serving on the prosecution team in UNITED STATES vs. TIMOTHY MCVEIGH.

He has testified before U.S. Senate and Congressional committees and numerous state legislatures, and he and his research have been cited in a national address by the President of the United States.

Col. Grossman is an Airborne Ranger infantry officer, and a prior-service sergeant and paratrooper, with a total of over 23 years’ experience in leading U.S. soldiers worldwide. He retired from the Army in February 1998 and has devoted himself to teaching, writing, speaking, and research. Today he is the director of the Killology Research Group, and in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks he is on the road almost 300 days a year, training elite military and law enforcement organizations as well as civilian seminar attendees worldwide about the reality of armed aggression.

Michael Norling

Michael began his career in EMS as an EMT with a private ambulance service in Maricopa County. He obtained his Paramedic certification in 1992 and moved his career to a large metropolitan fire department in the Phoenix Metro Area. He promoted to the rank of Fire Captain in 2002. Over the course of his career, he has been recognized as both Paramedic and Fire Officer of the Year. Additionally, he has been an active educator for both emergency responders and the public. He has served as a consultant with several large industrial sites to help establish in house emergency and disaster plans and is also a member of an Arizona-based, Disaster Response Team. Mike’s expertise, love of community service and can do attitude are what drew him to ICSAVE. He is an integral part of the instructor cadre and has made a significant impact throughout Arizona. He has been happily married for over 28 years and is the proud father of one daughter. He and his family enjoy traveling and home improvement projects and presently reside in Central Arizona.

Robert Price

Robert has been a law enforcement officer with the Casa Grande Police Department for over ten years. Among his various specialties, he is an Active Shooter Threat Response Instructor for both his fellow officers and the various members of his community. The horrific events at Sandy Hook Elementary School forever changed him. He has three children and that incident, as well as many others, has had a profound impact on him. As one of ICSAVE’s core instructors, Robert has made it his life’s mission to ensure that both he and his community are well-prepared to deal with Active Violence events. He and his family presently reside in Central Arizona.

Sam Brady

Sam has worked in Commercial Insurance and Risk Management since 2004. He instructs churches and schools in risk management based security training in Arizona and New Mexico. He is also an ALICE certified instructor and is the Response Team director at his church. Sam is currently Military Police serving in the Arizona Army National Guard and an ICSAVE contributing member.

Bryan Sellars

Bryan is a second-degree black belt in Chun Kuk Do and an ICSAVE Self-Defense Contributing Member. He has been practicing martial arts for 29 years, and has been teaching children and adults for 23 years. He is a firm believer in hard work, consistency and discipline. His skills in the most advanced kicking and sparring techniques, paired with impressive communication skills will help kids and adults comprehend the dynamics of fighting. He has also studied Brazilin Jujitsu, Muay Thai, and Boxing. Bryan presently resides in Southern Arizona.

Celia Webb

Celia is the Owner of Ultima Krav Maga (KM), a second-degree KM Black Belt and ICSAVE Self Defense Contributing Member. She believes strongly in community service, resilience and empowerment and dedicates herself heart and soul to the betterment of others. In addition to her extensive KM and self-defense background, she is also a Certified National Rifle Association (NRA) and Kali Instructor. Celia and her family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Howard Buehler

Howard was a career Air Force Officer, serving for 22 years and retiring in 2000. He also worked for Raytheon Missile Systems, leaving in 2010. He has trained in Okinowan Shorin-Ryu Karate. He has also been training in Krav Maga since 2011, is a Level 2 Certified Krav Maga Instructor and ICSAVE Self Defense Contributing Member. In addition to the benefits of training for self-protection, Howard has found the improvement in fitness and conditioning to be life changing. He presently resides in Southern Arizona.

John Morgan

John is a Third Level Krav Maga Instructor and ICSAVE Self Defense Contributing Member. He began his training in 2013, started working at Ultima Krav Maga in 2015 and ultimately became an instructor in 2016. He quickly fell in love with the discipline and confidence that came with the training. With consistency and hard work, he has come to be in the best shape of his life. The self confidence that he’s developed over the years has spread into many areas of his life. His goal is to help others achieve their potential and to pass on what he has learned to the community. John presently resides in Southern Arizona.

Robert Merritt

Robert has been a Deputy Sheriff with The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) for over 11 years and is an integral part of the ICSAVE family. He served in the MCSO Patrol Division for 7 years and then moved into a specialty assignment. He is presently in charge of the department’s Incident Command Post (RV) and Youth Explorer programs. He holds various law enforcement certifications to include AZPOST General Instructor. Prior to his present profession, Robert worked for a local cable and delivery company and he has always considered himself a community advocate. He has spent over 10 years coaching girls’ volleyball and, as a result, has been able to travel extensively throughout The United States. He is an avid football fan and loves The Miami Dolphins. He has also played soccer for most of his life and still plays competitively today. He has been happily married to his wife Debra for over 16 years and they have one son, named Kendel, who is 14 years old. Robert and his family presently reside in Central Arizona.

Paul Dabrowski MD

Dr. Paul Dabrowski has been the Trauma Program Director at Banner University Medical Center Phoenix’s Level I Trauma Center since 2009. He and his team of surgeons, physicians and nurses provide some of the finest clinical care for the ill and injured in the Southwest region. Education about state-of-the-art trauma care, critical care, and injury prevention is a large part of the trauma center’s mission.

His military experience with the US Navy and Marines, medical support for the Philadelphia FBI SWAT Team, medical support for the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Arizona Task Force 1, instructor for ATLS, ACLS and FCCS, and role as an EMS Physician for Arizona make him well suited to assist ICSAVE with their mission to protect our Arizona communities from preventable injury and death through education, training, and empowerment. Together, we can do great things and make a difference for our people. Paul and his family presently reside in Central Arizona

Ryan Parks

Originally from the Phoenix Valley Metro area, Ryan came to Tucson in 2007 to begin his career as a Firefighter. Today he remains a proud member of the local Fire and EMS community as a practicing Paramedic, ropes expert, and ceremonial bagpipe player. A member of the ICSAVE family, he believes in the importance of tradition, and feels that the duty of a Firefighter is to protect, aide, and educate the public. Ryan and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Brian Amos

As a third generation Arizonan, Brian takes great pride in this State and this Country, and it is his sincere desire that he can give back some of what they have given him. Working as a seasonal wildland firefighter, he was fortunate enough to put himself through the University of Arizona, graduating in 1983. After working in the ranching industry for a few years, he joined the U.S. Army and spent the next 21 years as a helicopter pilot. In 2008, upon his retirement from the military, he took an oath again, this time to serve as a law enforcement officer in the State of Arizona and remains in that capacity to this date. All of the adventures that he has experienced could not have been accomplished without the support of his amazing wife of 35 years. They raised two children and are now blessed with five great grandchildren. It is that love of family, community and country that drew Brian to ICSAVE. He lives a simple life with a simple motto… “never give up”!

Bonnie Taylor

As a young child walking through the hallways of the local hospital to visit her mother who was recovering from bringing a little sister into the world, Bonnie remembered feeling terrified of the white walls and the shiny chrome on the wheels of the hospital beds as they sped through the hall and the overall feeling of anxiousness that pervaded the walls. She ended up passing out on that trip which was her first to a hospital and she vowed that she would never go into one again, not even if her life depended on it.

Fast forward 17 years and Bonnie found herself working for a non-profit humanitarian aid agency in Kosovo. It was during the summer of 1999, and while there she witnessed people in horrific pain after losing loved ones while others suffered in silence not knowing if family members were alive. Seeing them helpless and in such extreme gut wrenching pain, it sparked a flame in her and it was at this point that she found she had the desire to help people.

That is how Bonnie found herself in early 2000, sitting in her first of many EMS courses, studying to become an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). It was after that first EMS course that her career in Emergency Services took off. She started working as a 911 dispatcher at Grand Canyon National Park before taking a position as an EMS and Search and Rescue (SAR) responder. In 2007, she graduated from Coconino Community College’s paramedic program and in 2009, became the EMS coordinator for Grand Canyon. A move in 2011 took her family to Grand Teton National Park where she worked as the EMS Coordinator until 2013, which was followed by a yearlong stint working as the Branch Chief of EMS for the National Park Service. Throughout her career with the Park Service she coordinated and led EMS and SAR courses to a variety of audiences.

When she left the Park Service in 2014, Bonnie had the opportunity to work with the Air Force on the largest Personnel Recovery training exercise in the world, creating real-life EMS training scenarios that incorporated working with civilian EMS responders. Currently she is working as a paramedic instructor at Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ and is the owner Tempus One, LLC., an Emergency Services training and consulting business.

Bonnie has been blessed throughout her career to have met and interacted with some outstanding providers and community members. She is honored to be a part of the ICSAVE Family, contributing to an organization that proactively works to give back to the community, arming the public with the tools needed to help each other when it counts the most.

Michael Daftarian

﻿Michael is an Air Interdiction Agent (AIA), Helicopter Pilot, and Emergency Medical (EMT) and Rescue Technician with the US Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine’s Tucson Air Operations Branch, serving in this capacity since 2007. He serves as a pilot in the AS350 AStar Helicopter, and as a Rescue Technician in the UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter. Additionally, he is the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) coordinator and lead EMT for the Tucson Air Operations Branch. Prior to joining OAM, Michael served for 10 years on active duty in the United States Air Force as a fighter-attack pilot in the A-10 Warthog and F-117 Nighthawk tactical aircraft. He served multiple combat tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He continues to serve both our community and nation in the United States Air Force Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel and HH-60G Pave Hawk combat rescue pilot based at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. Michael has been a Firefighter in both Texas and Arizona for over 26 years, serving different departments. He also owns his own company and works as a private contractor as well as Reserve Firefighter. He holds numerous fire service certifications and specializes in Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF), Structural, Wildland, HAZ-MAT, and Rescue Firefighting Operations. He actively supports and serves our local area raceway operations as well as the Mt Lemmon Fire District. Michael is an integral part of the ICSAVE Family and specializes in our Public Safety Integration and Military-Based Training Programs. He and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Marc Meredith

A California native, Marc relocated to Southern Arizona with his wife Meg and their cattle dog Rita Mae in 2014. A paramedic with Sonoita-Elgin Fire District, he also volunteers with Patagonia Volunteer Fire and Rescue District and serves as an instructor in Pima College’s Public Safety and Emergency Services Institute (PSESI) paramedic program. He previously worked as a school safety consultant and first aid instructor in CA and was an active volunteer with the American Red Cross’ First Aid Disaster Services programs. Prior to joining the EMS world, he had a long career in higher education. Marc and his family believe strongly in community service, and it is that strong desire to educate, train and empower others that drew him to the ICSAVE Team.

Brenda Dowhan

Brenda began her career with Phoenix Police Department in 2006 as a Research Specialist in the Crime Analysis and Research Unit (CARU) responsible for statistical analysis, threat assessments, and gang intelligence. In June 2011, she was assigned to the Arizona Counterterrorism Information Center (ACTIC) as a TLO All Hazards Analyst with the Phoenix Police Department’s Unified Command Homeland Defense Bureau, Intelligence Unit. She specializes in social media and open source research to provide situational awareness to determine; operational needs; tactical response; and deployment of resources.

In this unique “all hazards” position, she is able to provide tactical, operational, and strategic intelligence to police, fire, and emergency management on all crimes and all hazards that include events that are planned, unplanned, naturally occurring, or man-made. In addition, she serves as a conduit of information for TLOs statewide from local, county, tribal, state, and federal agencies in support of homeland security. Brenda holds a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice with a focus in Terrorism/Transnational Crimes, a Masters Degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management and is an ICSAVE Contributing Member.

Montgomery Leija

Monti has over 25 years’ experience in highly specialized units with the United States Army. He tailors and implements meaningful instructional experiences to develop mental agility, new skills, and problem solving in diverse crisis situations and environments. He has been sought out by United States Army Special Operations Command, Customs and Border Protection, and the Department of Defense to instruct both seasoned and new personnel in life-saving tactics. He currently works with The Defense Threat Reduction Agency providing his expertise in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear emergency treatments in the Hot Zone. An ICSAVE Contributor, Monti also volunteers with the Southern Arizona Stop the Bleed Coalition, Southern Arizona Rescue Association, and Coconino County Search and Rescue. He and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.​

Frank G. Rando

Frank presently serves as a consultant, clinician, educator/trainer, researcher, emergency manager, first responder and author. He is an integral part of the ICSAVE Family, and is nationally recognized as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in the areas of asymmetric warfare and terrorism, foreign biomedical intelligence, and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) research and development programs. He is also a Disaster Responder, Health and Safety Instructor with the American Red Cross and Instructor for the State of Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

He possesses over 30 years of real-world expertise in tactical, pre-hospital disaster, emergency, and counterterrorism medicine; health care and public health emergency management, emergency preparedness and response, pulmonary and critical care medicine, law enforcement/public safety, environmental safety and health, occupational and environmental medicine, biosecurity and biodefense, homeland security and counterterrorism.

Frank presently serves as faculty for the Pima Community College Center for Training and Development as an Health Professions Programs Anatomy & Physiology, Medical Terminology, Pharmacology, General Biology, Microbiology, Pathophysiology Lecturer and Advanced Level Tutor. He is a regular Healthcare Emergency Management, Global Health, and Disaster Medicine lecturer. He also instructs a course on alternative-complementary and mind-body medicine. He is a clinical associate at Banner University Medical Center Tucson and also serves on the Emergency Management Committee of both the Banner University Medical Center Tucson Main and South campuses.

He is an U.S. correspondent, senior contributing author, and consultant-SME for the following international journals: Chemical, Biological, Nuclear Warfare, Non-Conventional Threat Newsletter, and the CBNW-X-Plosive Journal. He is an Advisor/Consultant & SME for IB Consultancy, Ltd., an Amsterdam-based defense, international security, and WMD counterproliferation consulting entity.

He possesses Advanced Graduate Certificates in Outbreak and Forensic Epidemiology/Public Health Preparedness from the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health of the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center and has completed a research and teaching fellowship in inhalation toxicology, air pollution studies, and pulmonary pathobiology with emphases on asthma pathogenesis, pneumoconiosis and toxic lung injury. He has been affiliated as a Clinical and Research Associate and Faculty within the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center and Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center and Preparedness Training Institute programs, including Basic and Advanced HAZMAT Life Support and Basic and Advanced Disaster Life Support Programs. He serves as Adjunct Faculty at several institutions and programs and mentors/teaches groups of health professions students. Frank and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Dee Ruelas

Dee is the proud mother of two and grandmother of three. It is her love for family and community that drew her to ICSAVE. Indeed, her passion lies with the various organizations where she has had the privilege of volunteering her time over the last several decades. She retired in 2009 after a 20-year career working for the City of Tucson. Her professional background included working as a Radiologic Technologist, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Public Safety Communications Dispatcher and Municipal Court Clerk. She also received training as a Municipal Magistrate through the State of Arizona training center in Phoenix. She spent 30 years as an Instructor and Instructor Trainer for the Southern Arizona Division of the American Heart Association. Additionally, she served as Affiliate Faculty, a member of the Speaker's Bureau and served two terms as the chair of the Basic Life Support (BLS) subcommittee of the Emergency Cardiac Care Committee.

She now serves as a Disaster Services Volunteer and CPR/First Aid/AED Instructor for the American Red Cross and is a former Tucson Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Director. She is also a FEMA certified CERT Training Instructor. She currently teaches Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, and is frequently a presenter for the Arizona Department of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) and other organizations including her own (Teach2Prepare). More recently, she has returned to her First Responder roots, having just completed an Emergency Medical Responder course through Pima Community College. Dee anticipates going back through the EMT program once again to gain current industry standards and certification. Over the years, she has obtained numerous certifications in a number of areas including Mental Health First-Aid, DHS-TEEX Medical Planning and Preparedness for Bombing Incidents, National Ebola Training Center Special Pathogens Planning and Response Training (through Emory University), and DHS-TEEX Search and Rescue Training. An accomplished author, she publishes regularly for journals such as Chemical, Biological, and Nuclear Warfare (CBNW). She continues to pursue training and education so that she is well-armed with the tools she needs to accomplish her goal of teaching individuals and communities how to be prepared and resilient in the face of natural or manmade disasters. Dee and her family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Dennis Rodriguez

Dennis presently serves the community of Pascua Yaqui as a Firefighter/Paramedic. An integral part of the ICSAVE family, his dedication to others began at a very early age. At 19, he began his career by joining the Pascua Pueblo Fire Department Fire Explorer Program and his public safety profession has spanned over fourteen years. He is heavily involved in his department’s various training programs and holds numerous operational and technician-level multi-disciplinary certifications.

He is married to his high school sweetheart Samantha, with whom he has two children, Maximus and Kaleila. The Rodriguez family enjoys hikes and camping with their four dogs throughout the Arizona region and also, a love of astronomy. Dennis and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Renee' Irlmeier

Renee' currently works for the Sierra Vista Unified School District and has been with them since 2011 serving as the Town and Country school nurse and the District Nurse Coordinator. She is an integral part of the ICSAVE Family, serving on the District Emergency Response Team (DERT), and as an ALICE Certified Instructor.

She graduated from Cochise College's Nursing program in 1999 with an AAS and an AGS and continued her education obtaining a BSN in 2001 and an MSN in 2004. She has been working as a nurse since 1998 (one year as an LPN followed by 18 years as an RN) in various settings from skilled nursing to correctional nursing to peri-operative nursing to school nursing.

She is very active in participating in school safety, health and wellness, and believes in promoting actions that can decrease adverse outcomes in emergency situations. It is her strong dedication to community service, resilience, empowerment and outreach programs that drew her to the ICSAVE Mission. Renee and her family presently reside in Southern AZ.

Kristina Anderson

Kristina founded the The Koshka Foundation for Safe Schools, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping local community and school stakeholders work together to prevent, respond and heal in the aftermath of school violence, after becoming one of the most critically injured survivors from the 2007 Virginia Tech tragedy.

Shot 3 times, Ms. Anderson returned to graduate from Virginia Tech with a degree in International Studies and Foreign Languages, and is now a resource to school administrators, teachers and students within higher education and K-12 regarding violence prevention initiatives and ways to increase individual personal safety awareness.

The Koshka Foundation also partners with law enforcement agencies and first responders to provide educational presentations on surviving an active shooter from a survivor’s perspective, and best practices in incorporating lessons learned. Kristina is an ICSAVE Contributing Member and presently resides in Virginia.

Alex Catalan

Alex presently serves his community as an Emergency Room Paramedic. He has over twenty years’ experience in the Fire and EMS professions. Over the course of his career, he has served in various positions, ascending in rank from Firefighter to Captain. His service with several Southern Arizona Fire Agencies included one of the local Tribal Reservations, along the US-Southern border, and the Raytheon Fire Department. Throughout his career, he has been a Special Operations Technical Rescue, Hazardous Materials, and Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) Operator and Coordinator. He has been active in the Emergency Medical Profession for over twenty-three years, the last thirteen of which have been as a paramedic. He holds numerous fire service certifications from the Arizona State Fire Marshal's Office, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), and the Department of Defense. He also has extensive educational experience, instructing Fire Science and EMS courses for both Pima Community College and, formerly, the Arizona Emergency Medical Research Center (AEMRC).

Alex proudly served his country as a United States Marine. His first ten years of service were deployed overseas. He served as an Explosives’ Expert, a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Response Team Member, a Recon Team Member and a Special Duty Assignment with the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The latter assignment included Embassy Guard duties and later, service as a Special Training and Response Team Member. Throughout his military career, his various assignments allowed him to train, assist, and conduct special operations with various U.S. and foreign governments.

Alex is a native Tucsonan and a passionate believer in community service. It is that strong sense of duty, and call to be a part of something greater than himself, that drew him to ICSAVE. His volunteer service over the years has included being a wrestling coach, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) trainer and as a Drill Instructor with the Marine Corps League, Devil Pup Citizen Youth Leadership Development Program. He wants to share his extensive knowledge and life experience with the men, women, and children of his community. Indeed, he believes that knowledge and experience are worthless unless you share it with others. He lives by the moto: “It’s not who you impress, it’s who you inspire.” Alex and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Gregory Williams

Gregory presently serves as a Border Patrol Agent, Paramedic, Hazardous Materials Operator, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Instructor and ICSAVE Contributing Member. He has worked for the US Border Patrol since 2007. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Care Management from Southern Illinois University and several instructor certifications, including Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), and Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

He is a Retired Fleet Marine Force Navy Corpsman who served multiple deployments overseas during his twenty years of service, including service during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. He is currently assigned to the Border Patrol Tucson Sector EMS program and is heavily involved in instructing EMT and Tactical First-Aid courses. Gregory and his family presently reside in Central Arizona.

Turipp Sellick

Turipp is a paramedic who has served with the Pascua Pueblo Fire Department (PPFD) for over 8 years. He is a passionate Fire Service and EMS professional who was immediately drawn to ICSAVE’s community resilience mission. A married father of four, in his spare time he loves to draw and paint. An integral part of the ICSAVE Family, his primary focus is the educating, training, empowering and equipping of K-12 schools. Turipp and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

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Eduardo Aguirre

Eduardo is an ICSAVE Contributing Member and the founder of EDUMEDIA, LLC, a social media marketing and consulting firm working in partnership with Alexander | Carrillo Consulting. He has worked as a community manager for social networks and online communities, as well as offering English-Spanish translation services and e-mail marketing campaigns since 2008.

He is passionate about social media and the networking power that it holds to connect people. He offers social media consulting and management to nonprofits, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and large companies. He serves as a megaphone for your mission by promoting fundraising campaigns, online community organizing, and constituency development.

In addition to managing social media for Alexander | Carrillo Consulting, he has worked with Tucson Meet Yourself, Up with People, Strike Out Stroke, and Moon Moosic, as well as Alexander | Carrillo Consulting clients, including Kino Border Initiative (KBI) and Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona (CCS). Eduardo and his family presently reside in Denver, Colorado.

Daniel Rothenberg

As an Arizona State University Future of War Fellow, Daniel is writing a book on the economic, political, and social costs of the post-9/11 wars. He is currently Professor of Practice in the School of Politics and Global Studies and the Lincoln Fellow for Ethics and International Human Rights Law at Arizona State University. He is the co-editor, with Peter Bergen, of Drone Wars: Transforming Conflict, Law, and Policy (Cambridge University Press 2014). Previously, he was a managing director at the International Human Rights Law Institute at DePaul University College of Law, a senior fellow at the Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights at Yale Law School, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan and a fellow in the Michigan Society of Fellows. From 2004 through 2010 he worked in Afghanistan and Iraq designing and managing human rights and rule of law projects. He is a graduate of Brown University, has a M.A. in anthropology from the University of Chicago and is a Ph.D. candidate in international law at the University of Nottingham. He is also co-director of the Future of War program, linking Arizona State University and New America and an ICSAVE Contributing Member.

Sydney Vail

Dr. Sydney Vail is Chief of Trauma Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, and Tactical Medicine for Maricopa Integrated Health System. He also serves as the Medical Director for the Arizona Department of Public Safety Special Weapons and Tactics Team (DPS SWAT) and is an ICSAVE contributing member.

Dr. Vail graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1989 and has been in practice for 28 years. He is considered a subject matter expert in Tactical Medicine and trains tactical medics and law enforcement officers throughout Arizona.

A strong proponent of Community Resilience, Dr. Vail has instructed thousands of citizens in Bleeding Control principles and applications. He and his family presently reside in Central Arizona.

Ron Barber

A lifelong Tucsonan, Ron was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 2012 to 2015. He was born in Wakefield, England, during World War II. His father was an airman stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. He graduated from Tucson's Rincon High School in 1963, and earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Arizona in 1967.

He worked as director and program manager of the Arizona Division of Developmental Disabilities in Pima County from 1974 to 2006. He then served as Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' district director beginning in 2007. On January 8, 2011, Ron was shot in the thigh and face during an attempt on Ms. Giffords’ life, in which she was badly injured and six people were killed.

Ron has dedicated his life to serving, protecting, and fighting for others. That is what drew him to ICSAVE and he is a steadfast supporter and contributing member. He and his wife Nancy enjoy spending time with their two daughters, operating their small business, and are actively involved in numerous charities, philanthropic causes, and community outreach efforts.

Katherine Klinger

Katherine has had a passion for caring for others since she was a child. She attributes this to her parents Kay, a Certified Nursing Assistant and Chris, Air Force Survival Instructor. As a young teenager, she attended the Scouts Medical Explorers program where she first began, what would later become, a lifetime of learning and training to care for people in all potential situations.

At the age of 17, she started her formal Nursing School training at the local Community College in her hometown of Walla Walla Washington. She later enlisted in the United States Army as a Field Combat Medic, where she served from 1985 thru 1989. Her enlistment included service with the First Infantry Division Forward in Germany. Her passion for emergency medicine and flight medical evacuation grew from there.

After completing her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing at the University of Texas at Austin, she went on to serve as a Registered Nurse in the Veteran’s Administration (VA) Medical Center in San Antonio Texas and Tucson Arizona. She specialized in Cardiac Care, Intensive Care and Emergency Nursing.

After 18 years of government service, she left the VA to follow her dream of becoming a flight nurse. Over the years, she obtained training and numerous certifications to include Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), Transport Nurse Advanced Trauma (TNATC), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification.

She later went on to obtain her Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) credentials, which allowed for her to care for a wide range of patients with oftentimes complicated medical and traumatic conditions.

Katherine now works full-time as an instructor in a Career Technical Education (CTE) program. She has obtained her Teaching Certificate from the Arizona State Board of Education and is committed to offering her healthcare students a quality education. She is an integral part of the ICSAVE Family and loves to bring awareness, education and training to everyone in her community. She and her family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Paige Valdiserri

Paige, M.Ed. LPC, NCC, BCETS, RMT, is an internationally recognized Traumatic Stress & Integrative Healing Consultant. She is a highly regarded speaker, author, consultant, healer, coach, trainer and ICSAVE Contributing Member. Her international work at the corporate level, which includes programs in the Middle East and Africa, and unique integrative healing approach, has empowered thousands of individuals on the front lines of stress to go from a place of personal fracturing back to wholeness. Whether it is recovering from war zones, natural disasters, sexual violence, medical/chronic illness, intense professional/corporate settings, life-changing personal events, and/or ongoing spiritual growth, clients and organizations have described her as a teacher, a guide, a healer, a spiritual intuitive and a reflection of themselves.

The healing approach she developed, Biodynamic Energetic Body Therapy (BEBT), integrates various forms of Biodynamic and Bioenergetic healing, unique dialoguing techniques, clairvoyant and intuitive abilities, and draws from each of the modalities mentioned above in a way that is tailored to meet the needs of each individual client. This approach is built on the premise that our bodies hold our life story and the key to healing from a physical, mental, emotional, medical, energetic, nutritional, and spiritual standpoint. When any of these components become compromised or out of balance as a result of not being maintained in a healthy manner, they have the potential to become deficiencies in the body, which can then manifest into stress, illness, injury, medical conditions, and possibly death. This approach teaches and empowers clients to address, connect, and ultimately trust their body’s inner knowing and innate wisdom for proactive and ongoing healing.

On a global level, Paige served as a subject-matter expert on trauma treatment and gender-based violence on a panel at Howard University (2017) in conjunction with its Department of African Studies where she consults on a project to assist victims of human sex trafficking in Nigeria become re-integrated back into society through a multicultural entrepreneurial program. She is heavily involved in preventing global violence against women, particularly honor killings, and has generated awareness about the issue through fundraising, social media, legal offices and The List Project. Additionally, she has worked in Rwanda with government officials and local community leaders to address systemic responses to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for victims of the genocide and has counselled displaced refugees from Sierra Leone’s civil war in the United States.

In her capacity as the Director of Behavioral Health for an international occupational health firm, Paige developed and managed the firm’s first (holistic) behavioral health department for its domestic and international contracts, including support for the military, government contractors and family support for those deployed. Her work in Iraq was beneficial for program development by bringing cutting-edge modalities to the war zones for the men and women who serve. Her responsibilities included developing and implementing company policies, procedures and operations, regarding comprehensive behavioral health programs, training of behavioral health providers on innovative modalities to utilize in war zones, training all medical staff on protocols involving trauma, PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), emergency preparedness and disaster response, cultural gender issues, and organizational assessment and screening, as well as developing national Next of Kin (NOK) teams. She also ran staff development trainings and workshops on topics such as leadership, corporate culture, managing stress in war zones, cultural diversity and awareness, workplace violence, gender issues, culture sensitivity for those deployed to third world countries, and suicide awareness and prevention.

Her speaking engagements have included keynote addresses for the Arizona Fire District Association where she addressed “Leading and Supporting from the Inside Out” for fire executives, human resources and board members (2016), the National Association of State Women Veterans Coordinators Inc. (2013) and the American Counseling Association’s global webinar (2012) where she addressed the theme of transforming trauma through energetic healing and a range of Eastern and Western healing modalities. She also addressed the 2008 symposium “Every Crisis is a Human Crisis” at Georgetown University and the Defense Health Board Task Force on Mental Health at the Pentagon in 2007 as a panel expert in traumatic stress. In addition, she was featured as the keynote speaker for NASA’s Executive Safety Forum (2007) where she addressed workplace violence and emergency preparedness and response in corporate settings. Paige also collaborated with Senator James Webb’s Office and the American Counseling Association to write much-needed provisions for the Wounded Warrior Act. She developed and implemented Employee Support Services for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency and developed the first Behavioral Health component for the Pentagon’s MASCAL drills.

As an author, Paige launched her first book Messages from the Edge: Paigeisms for Transformational Healing in March 2014 and just released her new book The Red Bag: Connecting the Journey of Healing through Life, Death and Beyond. Both books are dedicated to anyone who has or is struggling with life’s challenges, traumas, spiritual growth and curiosity of what lies beyond death. Page and her family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Tracy Brooks

Tracy is the Trauma Outreach and Injury Prevention Coordinator for Maricopa Integrated Healthcare System and an ICSAVE Contributing Member. A veteran healthcare provider, she has specialized in both hospital and pre-hospital, ground, and flight emergency nursing.

She and her trauma team were the first to bring Stop the Bleed (STB) training to the Phoenix Metro Valley in 2016. Her team is committed to training as many people as possible and have taught over 1,000 people these lifesaving skills. With the guidance of her lead trauma surgeon, Dr. Sydney Vail, she, and others have taught over 10 STB instructor and 10 STB provider courses.

A passionate believer in community resilience, she works tirelessly to make everyone Immediate Responders, by providing them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to save others. Tracy and her family presently reside in Central Arizona and she wants everyone to know that you too can learn how to stop bleeding in less than 3 hours so sign up for a class soon!

Brett Brawley

Brett (RN, MBA, BSN, CCRN, CEN) is presently the interim director of Flagstaff Medical Center's Emergency Department and the former Manager of Trauma Services and an ICSAVE Family Member. He has served in the medical profession since the age of 16, starting his career as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). He quickly fell in love with pre-hospital, emergency and critical care medicine after his Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) preceptorship.

He graduated nursing school at the age of 20, being the youngest student to ever do so at that time, and began his career as an Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse (ICURN). Brett trained extensively in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) where he learned the important of direct pressure and gained vast experience in Bleeding Control (often having to hold pressure for as long as 20 + minutes). Eventually, his passion for trauma care set him on a new path to the Emergency Room where he became the lead trauma nurse and eventually the manager of trauma services.

Brett has an extensive educational background and holds numerous credentials such as Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN), National Association of Emergency Medical Technician (NAEMT) and Stop the Bleed (i.e., Bleeding Control) Instructor. His passion for education and community are what lead him to ICSAVE’s awareness, resilience and injury prevention missions. Brett and his family presently reside in Northern Arizona.

Paul Bedell

Paul is considered a subject matter expert (SME) in multiple disciplines and is an ICSAVE Family member. He has worked in the fire service since 1992. He started his career with Rincon Valley Fire District in Vail, Arizona where he performed structural and wildland firefighting. From the rank of Firefighter, he promoted numerous times to ultimately hold the rank of Assistant Chief of Operations. He later worked as a Firefighter-EMT and Hazardous Materials Technician at Raytheon Missile Systems Fire Department. He is presently employed as an Aircraft Rescue Firefighter (ARFF) at the Tucson Airport Authority Fire Department.

He received his Associates Degree in Fire Science in 2000, and has continued to increase his knowledge base in public safety and related fields. Among his various accomplishments and certifications, he takes the most pride in his role as Fire Service and EMS Educator with Pima Community College.

Paul’s family is the cornerstone of his life. Indeed, his loving wife and four children are what motivate him to serve others and what originally drew him to ICSAVE’s vital mission. The consummate professional, he believes in placing others’ needs before his own and has dedicated his life to serving his community. He and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Dustin Gorski

Dustin is currently a Pararescueman in the United States Air Force and ICSAVE Family Member. After finishing his undergraduate degree in Finance from Florida Gulf Coast University, he enlisted in the Air Force in order to serve his country, save lives and aid the injured.

After graduating from the intensive pararescue training pipeline, he has deployed multiple times to support operations in CENTCOM. His numerous specialties include skydiving, search and recovery SCUBA diving, rope rescue, confined space and technical rescue, and weapons and tactics. He received his paramedic certification in 2009 and is also a fully certified NAEMT instructor.

He has instructed numerous Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) courses throughout Southwest and Southeast Asia and serves as one of ICSAVE’s subject matter experts (SME). Like his fellow brothers in arms, Dustin lives the Pararescuemen’s credo: “So That Others May Live”!

Ryne Stubbs

Ryne is a decorated and educated military veteran with over 14 years of achievement and supervising experience through engaging in multiple elaborate, secret combat, and intelligence operations in conjunction with exceptional emergency medical care. His diverse background includes service as a combat medic, protective security specialist, and Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) advanced-level educator.

He has been deployed multiple times OCONUS and is an ICSAVE contributing member specializing in military and public safety integrated operations' training programs. Ryne and his family presently reside in Central Arizona.

Danielle Stello

Danielle is a native of Lake Havasu City and an integral part of the ICSAVE family. She has been with Havasu Regional Medical Center (HRMC) since 1999 spending most of her career in the Emergency Department and currently is the Trauma Program Manager and Pre-Hospital Care Coordinator. She developed her passion for injury prevention and treatment after being a trauma patient herself. She has been instrumental in developing the Level 3 Trauma Program at HRMC which is nationally accredited through the American College of Surgeons.

She currently sits on regional and state committees that help develop best practice for care of the trauma patient as well as creating standards for Emergency Medical Services. She is a TNCC Course Director and provides trauma education to all the nurses at HRMC and surrounding hospitals as well as meeting monthly with her EMS partners in her community to provide education, training and medical direction.

Danielle is married to her high school sweetheart, Jasen Stello, of 26 years with two beautiful daughters, Rylie 14 and Kennedi 12. Danielle has made it her mission to help educate her community, teachers and students on Stop the Bleed and give them to tools they need to keep others safe.

Jasen Stello

Jasen is a 24-year veteran with the Lake Havasu City Fire Department and an ICSAVE contributing member. He began his career as a Firefighter/EMT in 1995, and a year later became a Paramedic. Over the years, he worked hard to promote through the ranks and in 2013 he was promoted to Battalion Chief / EMS Coordinator. He currently sits on the Havasu Regional Medical Center Readmission Coalition and Pre-Hospital Care Committee. He has been a key individual in the development and implementation of two specific programs for the department, those being the Alternative Response Vehicle (Community Paramedic Program), and the development of the department’s Company Officer Academy.

Jasen has completed Arizona State University’s Fire Service Institute’s Advanced Public Executive Program, is a graduate from the Peoria Regional Battalion Chiefs Academy, has an Associate Degree in Fire Science, and is currently working on his Bachelor Degree in Fire Service Administration. Most recently, he completed his designation as a Fire Officer (FO) and Chief EMS Officer (CEMSO) through the Center for Public Safety Excellence’s Commission on Professional Credentialing. In addition, he has served as an affiliate faculty member with Mohave Community College’s Fire Science and Paramedic Programs, as well as lead instructor for the Arizona for Fire Service Excellence’s Basic Live Fire Program. Jasen and his family presently reside in Northern Arizona.

Mike Thiffault

Mike retired from both the fire department and law enforcement after a combined total of 31+ years of service. He has practiced as an emergency medical technician since 1983 and actively instructed CPR and First Aid since 1987. He continues to teach CPR and First Aid at the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Academy and since retiring from the Police Department in 2010, owns and operates his own CPR and First Aid company.

He believes strongly in serving others and has provided numerous courses to non-profits and other volunteer organizations over the years. Indeed, it is his belief in community service which drew him to ICSAVE and recently he joined the Stop the Bleed Campaign as one of its instructors. Mike and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Logan McClain

Logan is a Firefighter-Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Fire and Emergency Services, 355th Civil Engineering Squadron. He is a third-generation firefighter who started enrolling in fire science courses in 2014 while a junior in high school. He has been an EMT since 2016 and is a volunteer member of Crescent-Iroquois Emergency Medical Services, where he serves as both a driver-operator and EMS professional.

Whenever he is home on leave, he continues to actively serve with the Illinois-based EMS organization. As a young man, he assisted his father teaching a variety of courses to include CPR, First Aid and Paramedicine. His strong desire to serve and educate his community is what drew him to ICSAVE and Logan is actively involved in the Tactical Emergency Casualty Care and Public Safety Integration Training programs. He is presently pursuing his Associate of Applied Science Degree in Fire Science and has future aspirations to one day become a Paramedic. Logan presently resides in Southern Arizona.

Erik Ceron

Erik was not interested in studying medicine as a child, however, life events helped him discover emergency medicine is his true calling. Born in Tucson, he received his Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training in North Carolina. He began is EMS career at 18, working with University of Arizona Emergency Medical Services both operationally and as a trainer and quality improvement provider. Since 2017, he has volunteered with Sonoita-Elgin Fire District as an EMT and Wildland Firefighter. He was drawn to serve with ICSAVE because of the organization’s steadfast commitment to the community and its central belief in making everyone better prepared, safer and stronger. He and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Jerry Conrad

Jerry served 12 years in the United States Marine Corps. His service included assignments as an Infantry Squad Leader and then later as an Intelligence Professional. Various missions included the position of Intelligence Chief for a Marine Infantry Battalion. He deployed multiple times, including OCONUS service during Desert Shield/Desert Storm and in Somalia during Operation Restore Hope.

After his distinguished military career, he began working for the United States Customs Service, as a Customs Inspector and Canine Enforcement Officer at the Calexico, California Port of Entry. While serving in Calexico, he became certified as a firearms Instructor. He eventually moved from inspections into investigation operations as a United States Customs Service Special Agent.

With the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, he became a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Jerry currently serves as Supervisory Special Agent with HSI in Yuma, Arizona. He is a member of the HSI Arizona Rapid Response Team, which mission is related to rescue and recovery operations involving natural and man-made disasters. He is also an ordained deacon with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, Arizona. Jerry is an integral part of the ICSAVE family, with extensive combat life saver and active shooter training experience. He and his family presently reside in Western Arizona.

Matt Swenson

Matt is an integral part of the ICSAVE family and is considered a subject-matter-expert in the areas of Public Safety Integrated Operations and Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC). After receiving his original paramedic certification in 2004, he became a Midwest transplant to Arizona in search of additional educational opportunities. While working in inter-facility and 911 response capacities for private ambulance companies, law enforcement caught his attention by way of a bumper sticker on a police car while on a late-night ambulance run. He began his law enforcement career in a volunteer reserve program before accepting full time employment shortly after graduating the academy. His career now spans 11+ years for a major metropolitan police department.

The combination of emergency medical service (EMS) and law enforcement experiences has given him a strong passion for educating first responders on both sides of the fence to prepare them for critical or mass casualty incidents. He has been actively involved in teaching the Law Enforcement Tactical Casualty Care (LE-TCC) course since 2014 and has had the privilege of seeing hundreds of students attend it since then. The vast majority of students have expressed that it is one of the best training courses they have ever attended. Matt feels it is extremely rewarding to be a part of the crucial component of critical incident response. He and his family presently reside in Central Arizona.

Heather Miller

Heather (BSN, RN, CEN, and TCRN) is presently the Pre-Hospital Coordinator and Trauma Program Manager for Kingman Regional Medical Center (KRMC) and is an ICSAVE contributing member. She started in the Emergency Room (ER) as a Unit Clerk in 2005, then was a Certified Nursing Assistant in the ER, until graduating nursing school in 2008 at 20 years old.

In 2015, she was promoted to her current position. She runs the training center for 16 agencies and assists with training her entire community. For example, she has worked in collaboration with local public safety agencies to complete Stop the Bleed training for the entire Mohave County Corrections System. This essential program is now part of their initial orientation as well as teaching Mohave County Probation Officers and many other entities throughout her community.

Currently, she sits on numerous regional and state committees to help develop evidence-based best practices for the care of patients and creation of standards for Emergency Medical Services. She is a Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) Director and provides trauma education to KRMC nurses and surrounding facilities. Also, she completes monthly educational meetings with her EMS partners in order to provide education, training, and medical direction.

She is married to her husband Tanner and has two amazing and active children. Payton is 8 years old and Parker is 6. She was first drawn to ICSAVE’s commitment of providing Stop the Bleed training to every school in Arizona and has made it one of her life’s missions to see her community’s teachers, administrators, support staff and students have the knowledge, skills and abilities to help save a life. Heather and her family presently reside in Northern Arizona.

Norma Battaglia

Norma is a Master’s prepared Registered Nurse with over 35 years of clinical and leadership experience in Education, Hospital and Pre-hospital environments. Her family and friends are her greatest joy, and it was her concern for their welfare which first drew her to ICSAVE’s mission. Her passion remains with Provider and Community Education.

Norma has combined her experience in maternal-child health, EMS and flight with her love of teaching, completing her MS in Nursing Education and Leadership in 2007. She has served in clinical, administrative, education, and consulting roles doing what she loves most, using skills and knowledge gained in one area to improve her practice and mentoring skills in another. She became a Nationally Registered EMT-B after many years as a critical care and Specialty Transport RN, so she could better understand the perspectives, needs and responsibilities of EMS providers. From that point forward, her passion became bringing the best parts of nursing and critical care together with the best in EMS!

Norma has held Administrative, Faculty and House Supervisor positions at Level 1 Trauma and Critical Specialty Care hospitals in both Tucson and El Paso, as well as multiple air-medical programs, fire-based EMS, community colleges, the Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center and the University of AZ. She has taught certification, clinical and didactic courses including BLS, PALS, NRP, BTLS, PHTLS, AMLS, EMT-Basic, Paramedic Training, Nursing Orientation, Flight Crew Training, numerous Continuing Education programs, as well as regional and national conference presentations.

A few of Norma’s self-described “fist-pump” opportunities have included: (1) Management of the Emergency Medical Services for Children Grant Program at U of A; (2) Coordination of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant, Children with Special Healthcare Needs Pre-hospital Education Program; (3) Coordination/Editing of NHTSA/DOT/AAMS (Association of Air Medical Services): Air Medical Crew National Standard Curriculum Revision; (4) Coordination and Instructor-Trainer for National roll-out of the Brain Trauma Foundation: Guidelines for Prehospital Management of Traumatic Brain Injury (Adult and Pediatrics); (5) Implementing Evidence-based practice guidance for fire-based EMS, (Tucson Fire Department Administrative Orders/Guidelines for offline EMS practice; (6) Implementation of The Human Services Referral Program (HSRP) for frequent 911 callers; (7) Providing outreach education to very rural communities and Indian Health Service Areas; (8) Participating in simulated specialty flight training with the U of A ASTEC lab.

Many of these initiatives have led to region-wide practice changes, recognition and the opportunity to publish in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS), the Air Medical Journal (AMJ), U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Health Care Innovations Exchange, the Tucson Nurses Foundation Fabulous 50 and JEMS EMS10: Leading EMS Innovators.

Norma continues her lifelong commitment to learning, through part-time consulting, her volunteer work with Integrated Community Solutions to Active Violence Events, the Greater Tucson Fire Foundation and Safe Shift, Medical Reserve Corps of Southern AZ, and Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honorary. She loves traveling, history, genealogy, photography and a good book! She is currently self-employed as a Healthcare and Education Consultant and is working toward a fulltime position as “Nana”! Norma and her family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Kaleb Mauzy

Kaleb was born and raised in Arizona. His wonderful wife of 11 years is a Kindergarten School Teacher and they have an amazing 10-year-old son. He started off in the fire service in 2001 as a Wildland Fire Fighter with the United State Forest Service. In 2005, he decided to begin his career with the Fry Fire District, where he was recently promoted to the position of Special Operations Battalion Chief. He is also certified as a Rope Rescue, Confined Space, Swift Water, and Hazardous Materials Technician, as well as a NWCG certified Wildland Engine Boss and Strike Team Leader.

Kaleb has been a Paramedic for 10 years and for the last 3 years he has served on the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team as a Tactical Medic. He recently attended the Casualty Care Under Fire Course instructed by the U.S. Border Patrol. In an effort to support his community, he recently became a Stop the Bleed Instructor where he teaches school teachers as well as civilians the basic techniques of bleeding control which can allow them to make a difference in a life-threatening emergency.

This is what initially drew him to ICSAVE and he is now heavily involved in teaching Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC), Public Safety Integration Operations and Bleeding Control courses on behalf of the organization. He also serves as a member of the Cochise County All Hazard Incident Management Support Team and as an Instructor with the Sierra Vista Regional Command Training Center. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, watching his sons many sporting events, and exploring his newest hobby, SCUBA diving. Kaleb and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Drew Stonecipher

Drew has been part of the Fire and EMS Service for over 21 years. He has been employed as a Firefighter/Paramedic for the Tucson Fire Department for the past 13 years. He has worked as part of the Hazardous Materials Control Team as a Tox-Medic and currently is serving as a Rescue Technician with the Technical Rescue Team. Drew also has over 20 years with the Air Force where he is the Assistant Chief of Operations for the Fire Department and has served multiple deployments around the world.

He is certified by the NRA as an Instructor in the disciplines of Pistol, Personal Protection in the Home, Home Firearms Safety, Refuse to be a Victim, and Chief Range Safety Officer. He is also a certified Training Counselor by the Unites States Concealed Carry Association allowing him to certify new USCCA Firearms Instructors. He teaches various courses ranging from basic firearms safety to more advanced classes catered towards those wanting to obtain the Arizona Concealed Carry Permit. He is a volunteer instructor for the Arizona Game and Fish Hunter Education Program. He has been an integral part in developing his Church Safety and Security Team.

“I am a believer that everyone is a first responder. It is up to us as individuals to prepare and train to protect ourselves and our loved ones in an incident. From personal protection to emergency first aid we are responsible to ensure that our families are protected and safe when the time comes. That is why I am a believer in the mission and vision of ICSAVE.”

Marti Stonecipher

Marti is the National Program Director for The Well-Armed Woman Shooting Chapters; a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization which exists to expand the world of firearms to women all over the country in a safe, non-threatening way with the purpose of Educating, Equipping, and Empowering women shooters. Marti is certified by the NRA as an instructor in the disciplines of Pistol, Personal Protection in the Home, Refuse to Be a Victim, and Chief Range Safety Officer. She is also certified by the United States Concealed Carry Association as a USCCA Instructor and is a volunteer instructor for the Arizona Game and Fish Department Hunter Education program. She was previously a Firefighter/EMT in the State of Missouri. Marti has also been an integral part of the development of her Church Safety and Security Team.

“The mission of ICSAVE is to protect our communities from preventable injury and death through education, training, and empowerment. Growing up and living in small towns has shown to me that we are responsible for the safety of ourselves and our families. Knowing that help isn’t always going to be there right away when you need it is why I believe in the vision of ICSAVE. Being able to educate others on how to take responsibility for the safety of themselves and their loved ones is something that I am passionate about.”

Scott Bader

Scott has resided in Tucson for over 20 years, 18 of which he has been married to his lovely wife Desiree. During that time, he has worked for Trader Joe’s as an Assistant Store Manager, volunteered with the Arizona Rangers, and has spent the last 12 years working in Law Enforcement. Scott is presently a Captain with the Tucson Airport Authority Police Department and oversees all operations within the Department. He has participated in, and volunteered for, the Joint Technical Education District (JTED) Program and the Special Olympics. He is a certified Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate (ALICE) Instructor, an innovative program that helps people improve their survival rates during an active threat event. Scott believes that being a first responder is a calling and that he has a moral obligation to serve the public. This is what ultimately drew him to ICSAVE as he feels the organization provides our communities with the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to survive crises. Indeed, Scott views every member of his city as if they were his neighbors and together hopes that we all can make our communities a safer and better place to live.

Jeramy Rogne

Jeramy began his career as a volunteer Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician in White Center, WA. He joined the United States Army in 1996 and was in the 2/75th Ranger Battalion where he received extensive medical training including combat life-saver certification. He joined the Phoenix Police Department in 2001 and has served in multiple capacities throughout the department.

As an EMT, he became interested in the study of Active Violence Events and is considered a subject matter expert in Public Safety Integration Operations and Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC). He was first drawn to ICSAVE because of the organization’s tireless commitment to community resilience and empowerment. Jeramy and his family presently reside in Central Arizona.

Robert Kerchief

Robert is a federal fire captain currently assigned to the Davis Monthan Air Force Base Fire and Emergency Services, 355th Squadron. He is an active member of the Directorate of Emergency Services Special Response Team (SRT), serving as the medical liaison officer and primary TEMS operator. He served four years in the US Navy as a firefighter and limited duty Corpsman, seeing multiple deployments in support of both Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. He has over 17 years of experience with emergency services and holds multiple certifications including Hazardous Materials Technician/Incident Commander, Technical Rescue Technician, Fire Investigator and IFSAC Fire Instructor 3. Robert has been heavily involved with ICSAVE since its inception, and has dedicated hundreds of hours toward educating and empowering the community he serves.

Tim Freund

Tim’s background includes over 20 years of EMS in a variety of environments. He believes strongly in ICSAVE’s mission, specifically that every member of our communities should be trained to embrace and provide care as part of the all-hazards response approach. His path has led him from rural counties to suburban settings to a pediatric ED and on to critical care medicine. He currently resides in Arizona where he has worked as a flight paramedic for the last 10 years. Besides his regular flight duties, he often delivers new hire and recurrent training to his colleagues and serves as a mentor to new nurses and medics when they start flying on the helicopter. During his tenure in flight, he re-connected with his previous TEMS lifestyle and has served as a SWAT Medic for the City of Buckeye Police Department SWAT Team since 2010. When he isn’t in the stack with the entry team, he provides medical instruction and consultation for the City of Buckeye Police Department and their Volunteers in Police Service.

During Tim’s 10 years in serving as a SWAT Medic for two different teams, he has attended 3 tactical medical schools and 2 SWAT schools. He has been a TCCC instructor since 2013 and was the first certified tactical paramedic (TP-C) in the state of Arizona. He is also a member of the TEMS sub-committee for the Arizona Tactical Officers Association.

Tim also holds several instructor certifications including American Heart Association ACLS, BLS and PALS, ITLS and Pediatric ITLS, and NAEMT courses AMLS, PHTLS, LEFR-TCC and TECC. He is an affiliate faculty for Arizona ITLS and serves on the advisory board for the annual state ITLS conference where he also lectures. He is a frequent guest presenter at several hospitals on the west side of Phoenix and fire departments and EMS agencies throughout the greater Phoenix area.

Charles Glover

Charles began following his dreams of becoming a firefighter in 1999 when he joined the Green Valley Fire District Explorer Post. He fell in love with the job and started volunteering for multiple volunteer fire departments throughout Southern Arizona. He started his professional career in 2004 as a Firefighter-EMT and Hazmat Technician for Raytheon Missile Systems Fire Department. He is currently employed by the Tucson Airport Authority Fire Department as a Fire Lieutenant. He is tasked with the oversight of the department’s training program and the planning and conducting of their multi-jurisdictional triannual exercise.

Charles is a dedicated family man; his wife and 3 children are his support and motivation to serve his community. He has a servant mentality, placing others needs before his own. Indeed, it is that servant mentality which first drew him to ICSAVE. He is part of the ICSAVE family and various other community groups so that he can share his knowledge and professional life experience. Charles and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Adam Short

Adam was born and raised in Arizona. He is married to his amazing wife, Kari, and they have four wonderful kids, 2 sons and 2 daughters. He graduated from Buena High School in 2005 and went to work for the United States Forest Service as a wildland firefighter just weeks out of high school. He soon became a reserve firefighter with the Fry Fire District in December 2005 and was fortunate to receive a full-time position the following year.

Adam has been a paramedic for 7 years and a Tactical Medic for the Cochise County SWAT Team for the past 3 years. He recently promoted to the rank of Captain with the Fry Fire District. He holds numerous certifications and specialties. For example, he has attended the Casualty Care Under Fire Course conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol and is also a Stop the Bleed Instructor. He is an integral part of the ICSAVE family, specializing in Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) and Public Safety Integration Operations instruction.

He is currently the Wildland Team Coordinator for the Fry Fire District and is a certified NWCG Engine Boss, as well as trained in rope rescue and confined space operations. In his free time, he enjoys spending it with his family and is always amazed at what his kids will do next. Adam and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Gina Henrich

Gina is a Registered Nurse in the Surgical Trauma ICU at Banner University Medical Center Tucson. She graduated from Arizona State University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Family and Human Development. She has worked in a variety of capacities, including as a unit clerk, patient care technician, and mental health technician before continuing on to become a Nationally Registered EMT-B in 2012.

Gina graduated from the University of Arizona in 2016 as a Master’s prepared Registered Nurse. She serves the community as a Stop the Bleed Instructor and also as a member of a school-based wellness committee. Gina’s passion for health promotion and injury prevention education drew her to ICSAVE. She is a native Tucsonan and enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with her family.

Michele Gay

Michele is a mother, former teacher, and one of the founders of Safe and Sound Schools. After losing her daughter, Josephine Grace, on December 14, 2012, she chose to take action as an advocate for improved security and safety in our nation’s schools and is an ICSAVE Contributing Member.

Michele’s background as a teacher and involved parent, along with her personal loss and post-tragedy perspective, uniquely position her to help school communities prevent, prepare, respond and recover in the event of an emergency in their own schools. A nationally-recognized expert on school safety, Michele has shared her story and comprehensive school safety approach with educational leaders, public safety leaders, federal government officials, school communities, and top news media sources.

Michele holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Towson University and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from McDaniel College. She taught at the elementary level in Maryland and Virginia public schools before staying home to raise her three daughters and advocate for the special needs of her youngest daughter, Josephine. Michele is dedicated to honoring Josephine in her work to make schools in our country more safe and secure.

Jacob Robishaw

Jacob is an Emergency Medical Technician with the University of Arizona Emergency Medical Services and ICSAVE contributing member. An Arizona native, he knew he wanted to work in Emergency Medicine since the age of 3. He is an avid supporter of the Boy Scouts of America and credits his path to earning his Eagle Scout as the foundation for his love and knowledge of emergency medicine and for helping others. Jacob is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry and Emergency Medicine at the University of Arizona.

Cody Baker

Cody is the proud husband of an amazing wife of 11 years and father to 2 wonderful children, both who dream of someday being in public safety. He has over 18 years’ experience as a Firefighter/EMT and 15 years’ experience as a private contract Executive Protection Specialist/Special Events Security Officer. His public safety career started in 2000 as a volunteer firefighter. In 2002, he began a new chapter with the United States Forest Service as a Forestry Technician performing the duties of Firefighter and later, a Forest Protection Officer. He has a varied background including over sixty Fire and EMS certifications, over twenty Law Enforcement and security certifications, he is a Breath Alcohol Technician (B.A.T.), Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) certified, and has 1st degree Black Belts in multiple martial arts disciplines. His public safety background serves as a testament to his abilities to adapt and overcome any obstacles in his way to ensure the public and his team are safe. That has been recognized multiple times as he has 4 safety awards, 1 Certificate of Excellence from the U.S. Government, a Certificate of Appreciation for Fire Academy Instruction, and a National Officer of the Month award.

Cody is a proven, innovative leader and a very passionate instructor. Indeed, his passion for service and dedication to community are what first drew him to ICSAVE. He currently serves as a full time Firefighter/EMT with the Three Points Fire District and Special Events Security Specialist. He is also continuing his training and career by starting the process of joining the Arizona Rangers, which is an all-volunteer State of Arizona civilian law enforcement group providing trained and certified personnel to local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies upon request. Their duties include special event security, traffic control, prisoner transport, tactical response, holiday patrols, DUI checkpoints, disaster response, community support and education. He has a community first attitude and stellar reputation among his superiors, peers and friends. He constantly strives to better himself by serving others. Cody and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Michael Lavor, MD

Michael Lavor is a graduate of the University of New Mexico Medical School and is an ICSAVE contributing member. He completed his internship at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago and his residency through the University of Illinois metro group hospitals, including Mercy Hospital, Cook Country Hospital, Illinois Masonic Hospital and Lutheran General Hospital.

After 23 years in private practice as a general surgeon, Michael retired from active practice as a surgeon in July 2014, although he remains with Saguaro Surgical, the practice he founded, as medical director. He focuses on not only assuring Saguaro Surgical’s high medical standards are maintained, but also that all of the latest technologies and services are available for patients throughout Southern Arizona. He also provides specialized therapy for chronic or non-healing wounds.

Michael was a member of the Trauma Teams at Tucson Medical Center, where he also served as Chairman of the Department of Surgery. He is the past Chief of Surgery and past Chief of Staff at El Dorado Hospital. He was board certified in General Surgery and was a fellow in the American College of Surgeons, past president of the Rocky Mountain Vascular Surgical Society, a Fellow in the Southwestern Surgical Congress, a member of the Tucson Surgical Society, a member of the International Society of Endovascular Surgery and the Pima County Medical Society. He served in the United States Navy for twelve years as a Navy Corpsman and among his various deployments, he served as Commander for a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Afghanistan. Indeed, his lifelong service to both community and country are what first drew him to ICSAVE.

Dr. Lavor remains on staff at both the Tucson Medical and Surgery Centers and was a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Arizona Medical Center Department of Surgery. He and his family presently reside in Southern Arizona.

Scott Lackey

Scott graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2007 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree. He went on to join the fire service, where he spent two years working for the South Tucson Fire Department before joining Picture Rocks Fire District in 2011. He worked his way to the position of Captain where he was assigned to oversee the EMS Division. He continued his training, attending the National Fire Academy and receiving his TRT technician certification, among various officer level courses. It was during this timeframe that he first became interested in public safety integration operations and after attending numerous courses regarding the subject, became a part of the ICSAVE Family. He has always also been interested in Aviation and in 2016 he was given the opportunity to go to work for the Tucson Airport Fire Department as an Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter (ARFF) where he remains to this day. Scott presently resides in Southern Arizona.

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